Welcome message templates for new Instagram followers

Meta's official API does not let any tool send an automatic DM to someone just because they followed you; a business can message people only after they comment or message first. So below are welcome DMs to send by hand, plus three ways to get new followers to start the conversation, so a welcome message can go out automatically.

Start for free

Why can't a tool DM new followers automatically?

Per Meta's Instagram messaging documentation (read October 2026), "Only after an Instagram user has sent your app user's Instagram professional account a message can your app send a message to the Instagram user." Comments open a narrower door: one private reply per comment. A follow opens neither.

Any tool that promises automatic DMs to new followers is working outside Meta's official API, which is how accounts get restricted. SuperProfile uses the official API, so it has no new-follower trigger. Meta's messaging windows and rules apply to all messages.

Templates: welcome DMs to send by hand

Use these for a handful of new followers a day: people who look like real potential clients or fans. Sending many near-identical DMs to people who have not messaged you can look like spam to Instagram.

Variant 1: simple

Hey, thanks for the follow! 🙌 I post [budget tips for students] every [Tuesday and Friday]. Anything you'd like me to cover?

Variant 2: point to the best post

Welcome! If you're new here, start with my pinned Reel on [topic], it's the one people save most.

Variant 3: ask what brought them

Thanks for following! Curious, what brought you here: the [recipes] or the [meal-prep tips]?

Variant 4: for coaches and service creators

Thanks for the follow, [name]! I help [new freelancers find their first clients]. My free [guide] is in my bio if it's useful.

Variant 5: Hinglish

Follow karne ke liye thank you! 🙏 Main har [hafte] [easy recipes] daalti hoon. Kuch khaas dekhna ho toh batao!

Variant 6: Hinglish, short

Welcome! 🙌 Pinned Reel se shuru karo, wahi sabse useful hai.

Each variant ends with a question or a pointer. If they reply, the conversation is open, and anything automated you set up for DMs can take over.

How can you automate a welcome within Meta's rules?

Get new followers to make the first move, then reply automatically. Three ways, each with a template:

1. A pinned "start here" Reel. Pin a short Reel that says "New here? Comment START for my starter pack". A comment automation sends the welcome. The free plan covers this: Auto-DM on Instagram posts and Reels, one keyword per automation, text-and-button DMs that end with a short "Sent via SuperProfile" line.

Starter-pack DM

Welcome! 🎉 Here's my starter pack: [the 3 posts people love most + my free guide].
Tap below to start 👇

2. A Story for new followers. Post a Story every week or two: "New here? Reply HI and I'll send you my best stuff". Story replies can start an automation on paid plans.

Story reply welcome

Hi! Thanks for saying hi 👋 Here's where to start: [link to your starter guide or store].

3. An incoming DM keyword. If your bio says "DM me START", an automation can reply to that DM (paid plans).

DM keyword welcome, Hinglish

Hi! Welcome 🙌 Ye rahi meri starter list 👇 Kuch aur chahiye toh yahin likho.

What public reply and button text go with it?

For the pinned-Reel version, use public replies that welcome people by name in spirit:

Public replies

Welcome! Starter pack is in your DMs 🎉
Sent! Glad you're here 🙌
Check your DMs, welcome aboard ✨

Button text: "Start here", "My starter pack" or "Get the free guide".

What should you customise?

Your one-line pitch. Say what you post and how often, in words a stranger understands.
The starter pack. Pick three posts or one free guide that show your best work. Change them when something new does better.
The keyword. START, HI or NEW: short, easy to type, and not a word people write in normal comments.
Tone and language. Match your captions; add a Hinglish variant if your audience writes that way.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Pitching in the first message. "Thanks for following, buy my course" is the fastest unfollow there is.
Tools that promise auto-DMs on follow. See above: not possible on Meta's official API.
Mass manual DMs. A few thoughtful ones beat a hundred copy-pastes.
A welcome that asks nothing. Without a question or pointer, the conversation ends at "thanks".

How do you set it up in SuperProfile?

Post and pin a Reel that invites new followers to comment START (or post a Story asking for a reply).
In Auto-DM, create an automation on that Reel (or a Story or DM automation on a paid plan) with the keyword START or HI.
Paste a starter-pack template and add a button to your best guide, store or freebie.
Add public replies and publish.

To ask commenters to follow you before a link instead, see the follow to get link template and Grow followers with Auto-DM.

Frequently asked questions

Can I send an automatic welcome message to new followers on Instagram?

Not through Meta's official API. A business can message someone only after they message first, or reply once to a comment. Use a pinned Reel or Story that invites new followers to comment or reply, and automate the welcome from there.

What is a good welcome message for new followers?

Thank them, say what you post and how often, and end with a question or a pointer to your best post. Keep it to two or three lines and don't sell.

Is it OK to DM new followers by hand?

Yes, in small numbers and when the message is personal. Many identical DMs to people who have not messaged you can look like spam to Instagram.

More Instagram DM templates

More guides

Last updated 11 October 2026.